Catalyst blogshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog
enCatalyst Women On Board™: Sponsorship Sparks Changehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/W_WLmL78izI/catalyst-women-boardtm-sponsorship-sparks-change
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<div class="field field-name-field-multimedia-item field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://www.catalyst.org/uploads/styles/content-large/public/wob_0.jpg" width="678" height="280" alt="" title="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">March 15, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Corporate boards have long been territory dominated by white males, and this entrenched tradition has been very slow to change. Even today, the boards of the S&amp;P 500 are almost 80% male. Women hold only about 21% of S&amp;P 500 board seats, and women of color are almost invisible—they hold less than 4% of Fortune 500 board seats. But there is a simple yet powerful way to accelerate change: sponsorship. Catalyst President &amp; CEO Deborah Gillis says:</p>
<p><em>"At a certain point, the path to success changes from ‘what you know’ to ‘who knows what you know.’ The consistent theme in my own career was people vouching for me and championing me within their networks. And in most cases, one call or message from one of these sponsors ‘lending me their credibility’ made it possible for me to get in the door, showcase my skills and experience, and land new roles. I wouldn’t be a CEO today without sponsorship."</em></p>
<p>As the most senior officer at Catalyst, Gillis has witnessed the vital role sponsorship plays in helping women advance to the highest levels of organizations again and again. And that’s why in 2013, Catalyst acquired Women On Board™ Canada—a program that began pairing board-ready candidates with CEOs and board chairs in 2007, to help women earn more board seats. The program has been so successful that it was expanded to the United States in 2015. To date, Catalyst Women On Board™ has led to more than 145 board appointments, with approximately 62% of alumnae having earned seats on corporate boards. </p>
<p>According to Meesha Rosa, Director, Corporate Board Services and head of Catalyst Women On Board™, the program is a game-changer for these exceptional board candidates and the companies they serve. Because boosting diversity isn’t simply the right thing to do; it’s a business imperative.</p>
<p><em>"Having a diverse board with women, including women of color, enhances problem-solving, drives innovation, provides a competitive edge only the full talent pool can bring, and sets companies up to win in the market of the future. Our country is getting more and more diverse. According to the US Census Bureau, by 2050 women of color will be the majority of women in the United States, but they currently represent only 3.8% of Fortune 500 board seats. Can any board afford to ignore the majority?"</em></p>
<p>Catalyst Women On Board™ recently announced its second US class of 10 board-ready, senior executive women and their mentors/sponsors—CEOs, Board Chairs, and Directors from major global entities including Deloitte, Visa, Sodexo, and McKinsey. Just as the participants before them, each protégé is paired one-on-one with a sponsor for two years. So far in 2017, Catalyst Women On Board™ alumnae have earned nine board appointments. And the careers of alumnae from years past continue to thrive. Take, for example, the story of Sarah Raiss, former EVP, Corporate Services, at TransCanada Corporation. </p>
<p>Raiss joined Women On Board™ Canada’s first class in 2007, and was paired with sponsor Robert Harding, then the Chair of Brookfield Asset Management. Despite her standing as an extremely accomplished executive—she had been named to Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 list and was a member of nonprofit boards, government entity boards, industry advisory boards, and a small public company’s board—Raiss had yet to achieve her goal of earning an appointment to a large, publicly traded organization’s board. For that, she needed an introduction to a wider networkonce in the door, her skills and experience could propel her the rest of the way. Simply put, she needed sponsorship. </p>
<p><em>"Bob [Harding] gave me great advice on how to target boards, and suggested companies that would best suit the skills I brought to the table. We had very interesting discussions about governance. He connected me with a variety of influential people, invited me to important events, and put his ‘stamp of approval’ on me as a prospective board member. One of the people he introduced me to suggested I consider being on retail boards. This prepared me well as a retail board opportunity came my way shortly thereafter. This was my first large publicly traded board. It paved the way for other large board opportunities to come."</em></p>
<p>Many more prestigious opportunities would indeed follow. Raiss formerly chaired the Alberta Electric System Operator’s board, and is currently a sitting member of multiple other boards, including Loblaw Companies, Vermilion Energy, Inc., Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated, and Commercial Metals Company (US). In addition, she chaired the Calgary Chapter of the International Women’s Forum of Canada, and sat on the Board of Directors for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. And she has come full circle by serving as a Catalyst Women On Board™ sponsor herself. </p>
<p>With the continued support of passionate sponsors like Raiss, more talented, accomplished women will earn long-awaited seats on corporate boards. Says Gillis:</p>
<p><em>"It’s long past time to bust the myth we hear again and again, that companies can’t find women to serve on their boards. We disprove that myth one introduction at a time, by making powerful connections—bringing together women, sponsors, and companies to create opportunities. And this is something every leader can do. You don’t even need a formal program. Just start. Find a high-potential woman today and become her sponsor. A simple, powerful, possibly even life-changing act."</em></p>
<p>And when all these talented protégés become leaders in positions of power in the boardroom, the hope is that they will go on to sponsor the next generation of women, so that when the time comes, “who they know” is an advantage, not an insurmountable hurdle.</p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/W_WLmL78izI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12115 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/catalyst-women-boardtm-sponsorship-sparks-change#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/catalyst-women-boardtm-sponsorship-sparks-change3M: Fueling Global Competitiveness With Diversity and Inclusionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/49lpE-JWFjw/3m-fueling-global-competitiveness-diversity-and-inclusion
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<div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">March 9, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Below is a blog from our <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/">Catalyst CEO Champions For Change</a> storytelling series,"<a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/spotlight-stories" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out; font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Spotlight Stories</a><span style="color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">." </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: oblique; color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing these stories to show what’s working at <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/ceo-champions" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out;">Catalyst Champion companies</a> that help to advance women into leadership.</span></p>
<hr /><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.32px;">Catalyst CEO Deborah Gillis sits down with CEO Inge Thulin to find out how 3M is fueling its global competitiveness with the power of diversity and inclusion.</span></p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5iWSgDcunCU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/49lpE-JWFjw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12072 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/3m-fueling-global-competitiveness-diversity-and-inclusion#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/3m-fueling-global-competitiveness-diversity-and-inclusionIBM: Boosting Global Diversity and Accelerating Careershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/IeMkx8R9NrQ/ibm-boosting-global-diversity-and-accelerating-careers
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<div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">March 1, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><em>Below is a blog from our <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/">Catalyst CEO Champions For Change</a> storytelling series, </em>"<a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/spotlight-stories">Spotlight Stories</a>." <em>Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing these stories to show what’s working at <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/ceo-champions">Catalyst Champion companies</a> that help to advance women into leadership.</em></p>
<hr /><p>Find out how IBM is boosting global diversity and accelerating careers with an Executive Women’s Council that engages 40,000 employees across 51 countries.</p>
<p><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u2IjtEhTfHY?rel=0" width="100%"></iframe></p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/IeMkx8R9NrQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12032 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/ibm-boosting-global-diversity-and-accelerating-careers#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/ibm-boosting-global-diversity-and-accelerating-careersMen of Color at Work: If These Stories Surprise You, You Haven’t Been Listening*http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/2giSOoJsTug/men-color-work-if-these-stories-surprise-you-you-havent-been-listening
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<div class="field field-name-field-multimedia-item field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://www.catalyst.org/uploads/styles/content-large/public/interview.png" width="678" height="280" alt="" title="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">February 27, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><strong>Stories of Sacrifice and Resilience </strong></p>
<p>Sometimes being on the forefront of diversity work, it’s hard to “unsee” the effects of bias, discrimination, and exclusion in the workplace. </p>
<p>I try to leave work at work and avoid diversity talk when out with friends and family. I want to be “fun,” not the bearer of bad news. But despite my attempts, these insights seem to creep into our conversations. </p>
<p>I’ve had a friend reveal she was suffering imposter syndrome at her new job. Despite being talented and bright, she feared she didn’t belong within her work team and that she would be viewed as a token hire. </p>
<p>Another friend told me she was debating a transfer to a more diverse department to avoid having to be the “voice of her people” for her peers. </p>
<p>Yet another friend approached me to find tactics to address the daily microaggressions she faced at her office. </p>
<p>All three of these women felt a heightened need to be “on guard” in their less-than-diverse workspaces, and often found resolve when sharing their experiences with someone who understood them. These experiences—and related consequences—were highlighted in Catalyst’s 2016 report, <em><a href="http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/emotional-tax-how-black-women-and-men-pay-more-work-and-how-leaders-can-take-action" target="_blank">Emotional Tax: How Black Women and Men Pay More at Work and How Leaders Can Take Action</a></em>.<br />
<br />
This month, Catalyst released a new report, <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/day-day-experiences-emotional-tax-among-women-and-men-color-workplace" target="_blank">Day-to-Day Experiences of Emotional Tax Among Women and Men of Color in the Workplace</a>, which further explores the cost of the Emotional Tax for Asian, Black, Latinx, and multiracial employees.</p>
<p>Of particular note for the MARC community, the report found that a quarter of men of color respondents said they are on guard in anticipation of bias against them because of their gender. While I have had women tell me about performing a balancing act of gender politics and racial/ethnic identity at work, I haven’t had the same experience with men. </p>
<p>To explore this parallel, I recruited men of color to further delve into their experiences at work. What they shared with me was hard to hear.</p>
<p><strong>“That’s diversity right there.”</strong><br />
Imagine being in a company meeting and somebody says that to you and another colleague of color. And it’s not just anybody making this comment—it’s an executive vice president at your company. This happened to one of our interviewees.</p>
<p>“It was one of those moments where we had smiles plastered on our faces,” said the man. “Everything I thought I was after eight years with [this company] got reduced to one word.”</p>
<p>Later that day, the man said he was “wracking his brain trying to think about what he meant to call us. There was no other word that rhymes with diversity that made sense.” </p>
<p>Then he made an important realization: “I was being an apologist for his behavior and thought process.” </p>
<p>Acknowledging what really happened helped him to cope, but the damage was done. “I'd grown up in this organization and been touted as somebody who brings people together. That’d been the story of my career, and then to have that moment happen… It totally threw me. To this day, I still don't understand it.”</p>
<p><strong>What it Feels Like to Be “On Guard”</strong><br />
Other interviewees shared with me how they’ve take steps to prepare for bias in and out of the workplace. </p>
<p>Not only do they carefully choose their words for fear that their opinions will be attributed to their entire race or ethnic background, but they are also careful about their appearance and even their personal purchases. </p>
<p>One man was advised not to buy a certain car due to what others might think. Another purposely wears loud shoes to work so that folks won’t be startled by his presence. </p>
<p>Perhaps most troubling to hear was that despite the advancements made in the area of diversity and inclusion, some organizations still have trouble maintaining a diverse workforce.</p>
<p>“I’ve always had to deal with being one of a few as a Black man in my organization. Twenty years later and there are still not that many people that look like me.”</p>
<p>Another powerful example illustrated the lack of diversity for expatriates working globally. One individual was told, “I didn’t know people like you had jobs like this.” </p>
<p><strong>Support Systems for Men of Color</strong><br />
While being one of a few seemed to be a shared theme among these men, their experience of support varied. While one individual in particular felt he was silenced by his organization because of the perception that he was making a big deal over nothing when addressing issues of bias or discrimination, another’s manager provided a listening ear. </p>
<p>What happens when support systems aren’t in place?</p>
<p>“The corporation loses value,” said one man. “[These employees] could have delivered better value if you removed the challenges for them.”</p>
<p>He knows from first-hand experience. Faced with barriers at his previous organization, he made a difficult, but necessary choice. “I could see there were limitations built into the system no matter what I did, and there was nothing I could do to change that.” He left.</p>
<p>In gathering these stories, I began to question how much we have really moved the needle on diversity work. While some of the men interviewed have credited their success to mentors, sponsors, and development programs, it was clear to me that more could be done at the organizational level. </p>
<p>Do companies actually take the time to listen to the experiences of their diverse workforce and learn from them? Or have they avoided hearing these sometimes harsh truths? </p>
<p>Hopefully, by sharing these stories and report findings, we can provide a look into the experiences of talented, resilient men of color, who have arguably sacrificed a portion their identity—and paid a hefty Emotional Tax—for a seat at the table.</p>
<p>So how much will your organization invest in them?</p>
<p><em>For more, check out Catalyst’s report,</em> <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/day-day-experiences-emotional-tax-among-women-and-men-color-workplace" target="_blank">Day-to-Day Experiences of Emotional Tax Among Women and Men of Color in the Workplace</a>.</p>
<p><em>*This article first appeared in the <a href="http://onthemarc.org/blogs/22/535?utm_campaign=website&amp;utm_source=onthemarc.org&amp;utm_medium=email#.WpFrPoPwbIU" target="_blank">MARC blog</a>.</em></p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/2giSOoJsTug" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12027 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/men-color-work-if-these-stories-surprise-you-you-havent-been-listening#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/men-color-work-if-these-stories-surprise-you-you-havent-been-listeningRockwell Automation: A Decade of Courageous Changehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/b1EiXLMRuUM/rockwell-automation-decade-courageous-change
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<div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">February 21, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><em>Below is a blog from our <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/">Catalyst CEO Champions For Change</a> storytelling series,</em> "<a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/spotlight-stories">Spotlight Stories</a>." <em>Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing these stories to show what’s working at <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/ceo-champions">Catalyst Champion companies</a> that help to advance women into leadership.</em></p>
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<p>A decade into its Culture of Inclusion (COI) Journey, Rockwell Automation is more invested than ever in reshaping its way of working, employees’ mindsets, and the engineering industry to be more welcoming to women and people of color. To ensure sustainability, its globally led, locally driven COI efforts have been embedded into every business unit, making each responsible for change. The results are impressive. Since 2008 the company has seen a 76% increase in the number of women at the executive level, a 65% increase in women directors, and a 28% increase in mid-level women managers. But in an industry where, in the United States, only 11% of working engineers are women, and an astonishing 38% of women with an engineering degree quit or never enter the profession—there is much work to do. President and CEO Blake Moret sees it this way:<br /><br /><em>"Our people are the foundation of all we do, and creating an environment where everyone can and wants to do their best work is fundamental to our success."</em><br /><br />
The Rockwell Automation COI Journey began in 2007, when leadership saw a decline in the number of women in sales, and lower retention rates across the board for women and people of color. This sparked the company’s collaboration with White Men as Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP) to increase white male leaders’ awareness of their privilege and encourage them to leverage their influence to change the culture. Since then, they have made steady progress. Says Susan Schmitt, Senior Vice President, Human Resources:</p>
<p><em>"When we started to understand that white male privilege was real and it had to be addressed, only then were we truly able to drive substantive cultural change."</em></p>
<p>There are three pillars to the COI strategy: awareness and learning, understanding and removing barriers, and creating differentiation. <br /><br />
Awareness and learning means constantly educating employees on the value of differences and the impact of privilege on group dynamics, using a variety of methods. Understanding and removing barriers involves using data to find and resolve institutional biases within Rockwell Automation’s operations, leading to innovative hiring and talent- and succession-planning processes that ensure women and people of color get the development, exposure, and visibility needed to thrive. Creating differentiation extends the COI outside of the organization to make Rockwell Automation an employer of choice for diverse candidates, and an asset to its partners and communities. <br /><br />
While many COI efforts are focused on changing the way white men think about inclusion, diverse groups aren’t just waiting for change. They are advocating for themselves and for one another, and creating support networks where most needed. Stephanie de Garay, Territory Sales Manager and founder of Rockwell Automation Women in the Field (RAWiFi), is one example.<br /><br />
For years, de Garay struggled to see herself in a leadership position; there weren’t women leaders for her to emulate and she didn’t have a “command and control” leadership style. But as the company undertook its COI Journey, things gradually changed. She jumped at the chance to lead the field communications for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference in 2013, which promoted attendance from Rockwell Automation women in the field. She didn’t do this just for herself. De Garay says:<br /><br /><em>"Typically, one woman from the field went to the conference, but I felt there was a larger opportunity. So I put a business case together and presented it to the North America VP of Sales &amp; Services. In all, 17 women from the field attended. I organized a breakfast for us during the conference and we realized we really needed more opportunities to be connected. That’s when it all began."</em><br /><br />
In November 2013, de Garay launched the Field Sales Committee as part of the Rockwell Automation Supporting Women in Engineering employee resource group (ERG). After a year, the committee realized this did not fully serve the needs of women in the field. Experiences of women in the field, de Garay asserted, were different from those in-house. Field employees often worked remotely and independently, and called on industrial manufacturing facilities—not known as bastions of gender equality. She brought the group together again to formulate a plan to become a separate ERG focused on these challenges. The group succeeded in obtaining sponsorship and the program took off:<br /><br /><em>"Founding RAWiFi really is what gave me the courage to think I could be a leader. It gave me visibility, and allowed me to help others so they didn’t have to wait as long as I did to advance their careers. Everyone who has led RAWiFi is now in a leadership role—it’s a development opportunity. RAWiFi’s still going and growing…I can’t even tell you how gratifying that is."</em><br /><br />
Andrew Hastert, Manager, Connected Services and Partner Program, is de Garay’s colleague and founder of the RAWiFi Allies Network. He put it this way: </p>
<p><em>"It took a lot of courage for Stephanie to start RAWiFi. It’s rare, especially in the industrial sector, to see a grassroots effort led by a non-dominant group grow and succeed like that. As for men being allies—we felt it was the right thing to do because of the COI, but starting RAWiFi took guts."</em></p>
<p>Regarding Hastert’s own experience as a white man on the company’s COI Journey, he says:<br /><br /><em>"I see our role as advocates for women and people of color and courageous change agents. I try to start conversations I’m not comfortable with, challenge biases when I hear them, and learn how people who are different from me are feeling so I can better support them. I’ve seen others’ baggage and bias slowly melt away, and I’m still learning every day."</em><br /><br />
For de Garay and Hastert, big wins have come from consistently making small changes over time; chipping away at tired misconceptions. Says de Garay:<br /><br /><em>"One of our informal mottos is that “it’s all about the ripple effect.” A bunch of small things can make a big impact. That has become a theme for me. I make ripples. I don’t want my daughter to go to work and not be able to see herself in a leadership position. Now people come here and see reflections of themselves. I’m proud of that."</em><br /><br />
Rockwell Automation is changing its culture bit by bit—through constant learning and organizational self-reflection, and by asking employees to find empathy for others as well as courage in themselves. There is more to do, but there is no doubt they will get it done, together. </p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/b1EiXLMRuUM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12015 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/rockwell-automation-decade-courageous-change#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/rockwell-automation-decade-courageous-changeDespite Multiple Forms of Bias, Women of Color Perseverehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/qxP9Vy7QwLc/despite-multiple-forms-bias-women-color-persevere
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<div class="field field-name-field-multimedia-item field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://www.catalyst.org/uploads/styles/content-large/public/emotax.png" width="678" height="280" alt="" title="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">February 21, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Imagine waking up every day knowing that when you leave your home, you’ll likely be greeted with a multitude of insults because of your skin color, nationality, religious affiliation, or other defining characteristics. Bracing for the day, you wait for the first volley, the first subtle jab. Maybe it’s a cab driver who passes you by but picks up the person 20 feet from you. Maybe it’s a store employee who chooses to follow you around the grocery store. Or maybe it’s the “joke” you overhear deriding your religion, culture, or physical appearance. This is the reality for many women of color. Many who walk around each day living at the intersection of racism, sexism, religious discrimination, xenophobia, and other forms of bias—both inside and outside of work.<br /><br />
While a single slight might not seem like a big deal, these daily microaggressions add up, slowing chipping away at women of color’s dignity and reinforcing the feeling that they’re not valued. In our new report, <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/day-day-experiences-emotional-tax-among-women-and-men-color-workplace" target="_blank">Day-to-Day Experiences of Emotional Tax Among Women and Men of Color in the Workplace</a>, we discovered that there’s a cost to these daily insults. The cumulative effect puts women and men of color in a constant state of being “on guard,” imposing an “Emotional Tax” that affects their health, well-being, and ability to thrive at work. Individuals who feel on guard report more sleep problems and are more likely to quit.<br /><br />
Consider the following story from an Asian woman Catalyst surveyed for our report.<em> “Once, I was given a writing assignment about defensive driving techniques. Although I like the subject, I felt very on guard when it was read aloud to me, as well as everyone else, in our meeting. I braced myself for the inevitable ‘Asian/woman driver’ jokes. When they did come, I coped with it by smiling and shrugging it off so as not to cause tension.” </em>—Ying,* Asian, female, age 27<br /><br />
We should be concerned about the Emotional Tax placed unfairly upon people of color not only out of basic human decency, but also for very practical reasons. The job market is tightening. Skilled workers are in high demand, which means the power is shifting toward the employee. Workers have more freedom to choose where they want to work and the luxury of leaving environments they find unwelcoming. This potential talent drain poses a huge problem for companies.</p>
<p><br />
Here’s another excerpt from our report that exemplifies this phenomenon: <br /><br /><em>“I face stigma and bias every day at work because I am African American and transgender. I have been at work events where a co-worker mocked [a celebrity] because of her transition (brave at her age), not yet knowing I too am transgender. Once the co-worker found out I am transgender, they never apologized for the remarks. I experience a lot of tribalism at work, where the Polish people socialize with the Polish people, the Asian people with the Asian people, the Italian people with the Italian people....Being the only African American, I don’t have anyone with whom I can socialize. They care nothing for the history [of] my ethnicity—only theirs....I am ostracized every day, and cannot wait to leave in a month. I found a more accepting place to work.”</em> —Daniel,* Black, man, 31 <br /><br />
We captured numerous stories of racism and sexism in our report, which I found disheartening. It’s a stark reminder of how far we have to go toward equality. But what I found incredibly inspiring was that despite these experiences, women and men of color continue to have an incredible drive to succeed. In our study, nearly 90% of professionals of color said they wanted to be influential leaders, have challenging and intellectually stimulating work, and stay at the same company. Women and men of color persevere in spite of the barriers in front of them.<br /><br />
Organizations that fail to retain this determined and talented pool of employees are missing an incredible opportunity. <br /><br />
I often say, “diversity is a fact, inclusion is a choice.” While Catalyst has touted the <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/inclusion-matters">benefits of inclusion</a> for some time, it’s taken awhile for the corporate world to catch on. Now, after years of questionable results from diversity programs, organizations are discovering that simply checking the diversity box isn’t enough. To reap the benefits of a diverse employee pool, you have to create an inclusive environment, one where diversity is respected, valued, and nurtured. For example, when women and men of color feel included, 81% report being highly creative, 79% are more likely to speak up and contribute, and they are generally less likely to leave their employer. <br /><br />
Inclusion, at its heart, is about unleashing the human spirit and all of its immense potential. Everyone stands to benefit from that.</p>
<p><em>*Quotes are from real study participants, but the names of individuals quoted have been changed to protect anonymity.</em></p>
<p><em>Editor’s Note: Learn more about our Emotional Tax research by joining or listening to our <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/events/webinar-day-day-experiences-emotional-tax-among-women-and-men-color-workplace" target="_blank">webinar</a>.</em></p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/qxP9Vy7QwLc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12011 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/despite-multiple-forms-bias-women-color-persevere#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/despite-multiple-forms-bias-women-color-perseverePart 3: Q&A With Global Diversity And Inclusion Leader Dr. Rohini Anandhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/13xJ-wCjdRg/part-3-qa-global-diversity-and-inclusion-leader-dr-rohini-anand
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<div class="field field-name-field-multimedia-item field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://www.catalyst.org/uploads/styles/content-large/public/success.png" width="678" height="280" alt="" title="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">February 20, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><em>Rohini Anand, PhD, is the Senior Vice President Corporate Responsibility and Global Chief Diversity Officer, </em><a href="http://www.sodexousa.com/home.html" target="_blank"><em>Sodexo</em></a><em>, and Chair, </em><a href="http://www.catalyst.org/board-advisors" target="_blank"><em>Catalyst Board of Advisors</em></a><em>. In a three-part Q&amp;A blog series, we asked Dr. Anand to share details about her pivotal role at one of the world's largest multinational corporations focusing on “quality of life services.” Below is the third and final part where we asked about what challenges she faces and what she believes the future holds for diversity and inclusion</em><em>.</em></p>
<hr /><p><strong>How do you shift the focus beyond gender? </strong></p>
<p>We have five key priorities that are the focus of our global diversity and inclusion strategy: disability, gender, generation, culture and origin, and sexual orientation and gender identity. So while we have a strong focus on women globally, our priorities are inclusive of various dimensions of diversity, based on the needs of the individual countries where we do business. Our global strategy and taskforces on each dimension, along with clear outcome metrics and the guidance of executive sponsors, help to drive the efforts in these areas.</p>
<p><strong>How do Sodexo's D&amp;I initiatives specifically impact women of color and other people of color?​</strong></p>
<p>Over the past five years, Sodexo has seen a strong increase in women of color’s representation throughout leadership roles. From 2012–2017, the number of women of color in executive roles has increased 27%.</p>
<p>Currently in the United States, women represent 40% of our 20-member executive team, of which 20% are women of color. And of the total number of women on the executive team, 50% are women of color.</p>
<p>So while we’ve made substantial progress, our programs remain focused on women of color and other people of color—for example, our <em>Women of Color Initiative</em>, which launched in 2015 to promote the development, engagement, and visibility of high-potential women of color—and our five key dimensions of diversity and inclusion globally.</p>
<p><strong>How can others follow Sodexo’s example? What is the first step for other companies looking to build more inclusive workplaces?</strong></p>
<p>Some best practices that have been successful at Sodexo include:</p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;">(1) Confirming leadership commitment, engagement, and visible role modeling.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;">(2) Building a strong business case that is clearly understood, and aligning diversity and inclusion to the core business strategy.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;">(3) Building and executing a systemic strategy with a simultaneous top-down, bottom-up, and middle-out approach.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;">(4) Establishing clear metrics and accountability measures. </p>
<p><strong>In your opinion, what are the biggest barriers to diversity? ​</strong></p>
<p>Lack of leadership commitment. Ensuring you have commitment from the top is critical to achieving results. Also, influencing leaders to see the business benefits continues to pose a challenge. While we often hear the argument that we have over-exhausted the need for a business case, we have found that if done well, this continues to be a game-changer.</p>
<p><strong>What are some new and innovative approaches that are working, in your opinion?</strong></p>
<p>While not necessarily new, I believe that innovative strategies to engage men as allies continue to be important. And sponsorship continues to yield positive results. </p>
<p><strong>You’ve received many prestigious awards and recognitions over the years. What are you most proud of?</strong></p>
<p>Receiving the 2012 Catalyst Award is one of the recognitions I am most proud of. Being a part of such a rigorous and thorough process that resulted in winning an award that is so prestigious in the D&amp;I community, is definitely something I am extremely appreciative of.</p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/13xJ-wCjdRg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12009 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/part-3-qa-global-diversity-and-inclusion-leader-dr-rohini-anand#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/part-3-qa-global-diversity-and-inclusion-leader-dr-rohini-anandSexual Harassment and Women of Colorhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/LpkgDM8oFPY/sexual-harassment-and-women-color
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<div class="field field-name-field-multimedia-item field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://www.catalyst.org/uploads/styles/content-large/public/woc_blog.png" width="678" height="280" alt="" title="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">February 13, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>We are living through a moment in this culture. Women have been victimized by men since time immemorial, yet there has recently been a groundswell of women coming forward to publicly share their stories of sexual harassment and assault. The accounts of these survivors have resulted in male perpetrators losing their jobs, being expelled from their industries, and having their reputations irreparably tarnished. <br /><br />
Perhaps because in this most recent outcry against sexual harassment (<a href="http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/anita-hill-uta-sexual-harassment-1202634689/" target="_blank">remember Anita Hill</a>?) the women who initially came forward were movie and television performers, (household names to many), the media showcased their stories. The movement then spread to other industries—resulting in similar outcomes for men named as assailants—and its momentum ignited movements including #MeToo and <a href="https://www.timesupnow.com/" target="_blank">Time’s Up</a>, in which harassment and assault survivors share their stories on social media. The current movement against sexual harassment and assault is spreading to include lower-wage workers whose voices often go unheard, and that's great. Yet with all the great coverage of the #MeToo movement, there is still a lack of attention being given to the diversity of the women victimized by sexual harassment and assault.<br /><br />
Women of color experience both racialized and sexualized harassment and assault, stemming from the historical context of their experiences. For example, Latinas historically <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Labyrinth-Solitude-Life-Thought-Mexico/dp/B000YBQ0IQ" target="_blank">endured rape as part of European colonialization</a> of Latin American countries by Spaniards. Similarly, after the Philippine-American War, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the US occupation in Asian countries propelled <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-rape-culture-and-racism-combine-to-hurt-asian-women_us_592a15ade4b0a7b7b469cb22" target="_blank">local sex industries and sex trafficking rings to serve soldiers</a>. And Black women were routinely sexually assaulted during slavery in the United States, as a “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Women-Race-Class-Angela-Davis/dp/0394713516" target="_blank">weapon of domination</a>” with the goal of lessening slave women’s will to resist and demoralizing their men. The institutionalized rape of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/11/27/the-gang-rape-was-horrific-the-naacp-sent-rosa-parks-to-investigate-it/?utm_term=.632ce12afc2f" target="_blank">Black women endured after slavery</a>, with the Ku Klux Klan and other oppressive groups using rape to reinforce the oppression of the Black community.<br /><br />
From these historical roots, stereotypes of women of color were formed, which in some ways rationalized sexual violence. Latinas have dealt with overly sexualized stereotypes, being characterized as promiscuous or lusty women who <a href="https://isreview.org/issue/91/black-feminism-and-intersectionality">“stimulate male attention and provoke sexual aggression.”</a> Similarly, Asian women have been fetishized, exoticized, and sexualized as geishas, china dolls, lotus blossoms, or dragon ladies. Black women have been stereotyped as hypersexual, stemming from their treatment by slave owners as well as norms of slavery commerce in which slaves were often stripped naked and physically examined before being purchased. <br /><br />
Women of color have pushed back against some of the new movements, highlighting the different issues and realities they face as compared with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/style/gabrielle-union-memoir.html?mtrref=undefined&amp;gwh=E01DEFBEECED3D0E4F4BD7E517108765&amp;gwt=pay" target="_blank">White women</a>. For example, when women instigated a Twitter boycott to protest the actress Rose McGowan’s ban from the platform (supposedly for using an obscene word directed against Harvey Weinstein), women of color reacted differently. Film director Ava DuVernay, who is Black, noted that a <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/10/13/16468708/womenboycotttwitter-protest-backlash-women-of-color" target="_blank">“groundswell of solidarity”</a> had never happened for women of color Twitter users, who routinely face worse harassment than White women. A boycott of silence did not resonate with some women of color; as one user stated,<em> “I don't support White women who are silencing themselves when they should be speaking out,”</em> while another asserted, <em>“White women are given more voice and power than any marginalized woman will ever be given.” </em><br /><br />
Because of these stereotypes, and combined with economic vulnerability, women of color have been more susceptible to sexual harassment and assault than White women have been. For example, according to <a href="http://www.mujereslatinasenaccion.org/userfiles/images/Documents/Latina%20Portrait%20Latinas%20and%20Sexual%20Assault.pdf" target="_blank">a survey of immigrant Latinas</a>, at least 46% said they suffered some level of sexual abuse by authorities, family members, or strangers before reaching the United States, and in migrant labor, sexual harassment and assault of women is quite common. Catalyst <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/emotional-tax-how-black-women-and-men-pay-more-work-and-how-leaders-can-take-action" target="_blank">research</a> has also identified that women of color are susceptible not just to actual biased treatment, but are disadvantaged by their anticipation of biased treatment.<br /><br />
Inequity is pervasive in our society. Even while women of color may suffer higher rates of sexual assault than White women, there appears to be a double standard regarding their treatment as victims. The penalties their assailants suffer are less severe than those of people who sexually assault White women. A Brandeis University study found disparities in treatment of sexual assault cases that correspond with the race of the victim. In one locality, researchers found that prosecutors filed charges in 75% of the cases in which a White woman was attacked, but when the victim was a Black woman, prosecutors filed charges just 34% of the time. <br /><br />
Can we find unity across the diversity of women, so that the experiences of women of color are viewed with the same compassion as those of White women? There appears to be a level of disconnect, as evidenced by at least some White women. For example, one of the first women to file suit against Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, Gretchen Carlson, a White woman, also disrespected Serena Williams, a Black woman who is also a prominent and widely renowned tennis player. Carlson commented on Williams’ behavior during a match, calling an angry outburst by Williams a symbol of<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/magazine/i-used-to-insist-i-didnt-get-angry-not-anymore.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2F12118-issue&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=magazine&amp;region=rank&amp;module=package&amp;version=highlights&amp;contentPlacement=2&amp;pgtype=collection&amp;mtrref=undefined&amp;gwh=627ECF1732150F54F4CFFFA8D443CC63&amp;gwt=pay" target="_blank"> “what’s wrong with our society today.”</a> She also recently published a book called Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back. As New York Times writer Leslie Jamison noted, the portrait on the book’s cover—of a fair-skinned, blond-haired woman—reminds us that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/magazine/i-used-to-insist-i-didnt-get-angry-not-anymore.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2F12118-issue&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=magazine&amp;region=rank&amp;module=package&amp;version=highlights&amp;contentPlacement=2&amp;pgtype=collection&amp;mtrref=undefined&amp;gwh=0F7AA62CDD015F205743A64F28894A62&amp;gwt=pay" target="_blank">“fierceness has always been more palatable from some women than from others.”</a><br /><br />
Alliance-building must start with relationships and communications among women. We need to repair the “disconnects” that fracture and weaken potential alliances. Frank dialogue regarding the sexual harassment and assault that we face is essential in reaching an understanding of, and compassion for, each other’s experiences. Understanding our different experiences will create a united force to stand firm against perpetrators of harassment and assault, forcing them to own up to their misdeeds and creating an environment of zero tolerance. Only by standing together, and united, will we gain the strength to effectively overcome oppression. </p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/LpkgDM8oFPY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12002 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/sexual-harassment-and-women-color#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/sexual-harassment-and-women-colorUPS: Staying True to its Past and Investing in an Inclusive Futurehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/ytoeHgBi25M/ups-staying-true-its-past-and-investing-inclusive-future
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<div class="field field-name-field-multimedia-item field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://www.catalyst.org/uploads/styles/content-large/public/ups_2_0.png" width="678" height="280" alt="" title="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">February 14, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; font-style: oblique; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Below is a blog from our <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Catalyst CEO Champions For Change</a> storytelling series, "</span><a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/spotlight-stories" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out; font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Spotlight Stories</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">."</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; font-style: oblique; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing these stories to show what’s working at <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/ceo-champions" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Catalyst Champion companies</a> that help to advance women into leadership. </span></p>
<hr /><p>UPS’s Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President of Labor, Teri Plummer McClure, has long been an integral part of the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. From the beginning of her career at UPS to her work today as a senior leader and founding member of UPS’s Diversity and Inclusion Steering Council, helmed by CEO David Abney, she helps to drive an inclusion strategy that paves the way for future leaders like her. Through the council, McClure and other cross-functional business leaders ensure that inclusive behaviors, practices, and programs are integrated into the company’s core business objectives because at UPS, seeing diversity as a business imperative starts at the very top. Says Abney:<br /><br /><em>"We don’t view diversity and inclusion as a ‘strategy’ or efforts relegated to a diversity and inclusion department. It’s not a program, it’s not a campaign. It’s part and parcel of our business."</em><br /><br />
McClure shares this perspective. Of her 22 years with UPS, she says: <br /><br /><em>"A focus on diversity and inclusion has always been a part of the culture, a company value, something discussed at the leadership level. That level of commitment has continued to grow over the years."</em><br /><br />
When UPS relocated its corporate headquarters from Connecticut to Atlanta in the early 1990s, Board Member and former head of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission William H. Brown challenged the company to build a workforce more reflective of Atlanta’s diverse population. UPS accepted the challenge, intentionally drawing from a gender- and race-inclusive talent pool. This conscious effort led the head of UPS’s legal department to discover McClure in his search for talented attorneys, and to actively recruit her. That gave her an opportunity. More than two decades of hard work and dedication have propelled her through the organization’s ranks. <br /><br />
Two years later in 1997, when UPS’s Diversity and Inclusion Steering Council was formed, McClure was invited to be part of the team that built it from the ground up. To ensure support at the highest levels, the council has always been chaired by a UPS CEO, and it comprises senior leaders from multiple global functions and business units. The council guides strategic diversity efforts across four pillars: customer, supplier, community, and employees. It is from this vantage point that McClure has been able to help advance efforts to build a more inclusive UPS. <br /><br />
One such effort was the launch of the Women’s Leadership Development (WLD) Business Resource Group (BRG) in 2006. Says McClure:<br /><br />
"We started to notice that mid-career turnover for women exceeded that of men at the same level, and recognized that if we didn’t address the underlying issues, the pipeline would not support our need for the leadership talent of the future."<br /><br />
McClure and a dedicated team began conducting regrettable-loss interviews and benchmark analyses to determine why women were leaving. One common theme emerged, says McClure: <br /><br /><em>"A key finding was that women tended to feel isolated in their roles because of the company’s structure and geography. One way to better support them was to bring them together and help them think about their careers and opportunities for advancement."</em><br /><br />
The plan was to create a network for UPS women founded on three principles: understanding UPS and identifying leadership opportunities, developing leadership opportunities through community involvement, and forming connections through networking. Initially, the prospect of a program dedicated to a single group was met with some resistance. UPS was “Big Brown” and UPSers took pride in seeing themselves as one team. But with support from leadership, the program—and UPS’s first BRG—took off, growing from a pilot in the United States to 65 chapters across 30 countries. Its success later made way for nine additional BRGs; together the company’s BRGs support a variety of constituencies across 169 chapters around the globe.<br /><br />
In 2016, UPS celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the WLD BRG by hosting the Women's Leadership Exchange®, a summit aimed at producing more women business leaders through collaboration, education, and sharing best practices. And the WLD will likely be around for the long haul. UPS’s history of promoting from within—CEO David Abney began his career with the company as a part-time package loader 43 years ago—and commitment to giving high-performing employees like Teri McClure opportunities to move around within the organization to broaden their experience, are assets. (For example, McClure assumed operational roles prior to returning to the legal department as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in 2006.) But a focus on internal promotion, coupled with the fact that front-line positions tend to be male-dominated, make it imperative for UPS to actively recruit and retain women through programs like WLD. <br /><br />
Abney, who recently named Diversity and Inclusion one of UPS’s five key business priorities, is fully invested. And this year, The UPS Foundation announced it will award more than $7.7 million in global diversity and inclusion grants to 39 organizations supporting economic empowerment, initiatives to empower women and girls, and workplace inclusion.<br /><br />
For McClure, having a leader dedicated to building a culture of inclusivity is critical:<br /><br /><em>"This company is doing a great deal to advance D&amp;I. David [Abney] has taken our commitment to a whole new level. Leadership is always important to diversity efforts, and having a leader focused on it makes all the difference."</em><br /><br />
UPS is leveraging its history of prioritizing diversity, rewarding hard work, and valuing loyalty to shape its future. With the guidance and support of leaders like Abney, McClure, and other members of the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Council, the hope is that commitment will translate into continued success for UPS, its employees, and communities around the world.</p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/ytoeHgBi25M" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack12000 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/ups-staying-true-its-past-and-investing-inclusive-future#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/ups-staying-true-its-past-and-investing-inclusive-futureNorton Rose Fulbright: Creating Opportunities for Success at Every Levelhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catalyzing/~3/bLBxeOIHa0w/norton-rose-fulbright-creating-opportunities-success-every-level
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<div class="field field-name-field-multimedia-item field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://www.catalyst.org/uploads/styles/content-large/public/norton.jpg" width="678" height="280" alt="" title="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-post-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">February 8, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: oblique; color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Below is a blog from our <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Catalyst CEO Champions For Change</a> storytelling series, "</span><a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/spotlight-stories" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out; font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Spotlight Stories</a><span style="color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">."</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: oblique; color: rgb(59, 59, 59); font-family: &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Arial, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing these stories to show what’s working at <a href="http://www.catalyst.org/champions/ceo-champions" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(12, 42, 250); transition: color 250ms ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Catalyst Champion companies</a> that help to advance women into leadership.</span></p>
<hr /><p>Norton Rose Fulbright is a sizeable global law firm, with more than 4,000 lawyers in 59 offices around the world and big ambitions when it comes to increasing women’s representation at the leadership level. Through its 2020 Global Gender Initiative, launched in 2014, the firm set an aspirational goal for women to constitute 30% of its partnership, management committees, and board by 2020. While Norton Rose Fulbright has already come close to meeting the US Management Committee target of approximately 30% women and minorities, the firm is still sharply focused on its global goal. To that end, Norton Rose Fulbright has implemented a number of long-term initiatives meant to drive sustainable results. Says Peter Martyr, Global Chief Executive:</p>
<p><em>"These targets are more than just statistics. They are a way of engaging our people with the importance of gender diversity and creating a supportive, inclusive work environment. Our global diversity and inclusion initiatives play a pivotal role in retaining and developing people within Norton Rose Fulbright, and we have a clear goal on which to focus our efforts."</em></p>
<p>To Immediate Past US Managing Partner Linda Addison, cultivating gender diversity at Norton Rose Fulbright is particularly important. Addison initially joined the firm because, at the time, it was the only major firm in Texas that would allow a woman to try cases. Since then, she has accomplished much; in addition to being one of few women to lead a large US firm, Addison is an acclaimed litigation lawyer, has been recognized three times by Crain’s New York Business as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in New York, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. However, even she has experienced the disheartening impact of having to constantly self-advocate so as not to be excluded from opportunities. As she puts it, “These micro-inequities accumulate over time,” and often lead to talented women leaving organizations when they feel “they are not getting out of a job what they are putting into it.” </p>
<p>About Norton Rose Fulbright’s pursuit of gender parity, Addison says: </p>
<p><em>"Norton Rose Fulbright is setting the standard for diversity and inclusion. We are changing not only ourselves, but the entire legal profession, and helping it become one where all talent will thrive and rise."</em></p>
<p>Another of Norton Rose Fulbright’s accomplished women leaders, Shauna Clark, Head of Employment and Labor in the United States, cites the firm’s legacy of standing up for diversity and inclusion as one of the reasons she initially chose to work there more than 20 years ago: </p>
<p><em>"In 1962, Coronel Leon Jaworski was asked to assist in the prosecution of the then Governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, for being in contempt for refusing to allow an African American student to enroll in the University of Mississippi. Coronel Jaworksi's decision was not a popular one. He received hate mail and the firm lost clients, but he saw it through because it was the right thing to do. This culture of following your principles and having a commitment to diversity and inclusion continues to be a part of the firm’s culture today."</em></p>
<p>Among its current efforts to increase gender diversity, Norton Rose Fulbright has mandated inclusive leadership and unconscious bias training, continued supporting the Women in Norton Rose Fulbright (WiN) Network, and developed the award-winning Career Strategies Program (CSP). A first-of-its-kind initiative in the legal field, CSP provides support, training, and opportunities for high-potential women on the firm’s leadership track. CSP has run for several years in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and recently launched in the United States. By all measures the US launch has been a resounding success. In fact, 42% of US partners promoted in 2017 were women, and of those women, 100% were participants in the program. </p>
<p>One of those new partners is CSP alumna Cori Annapolen Goldberg, who recently celebrated her 10th year with Norton Rose Fulbright. Goldberg credits the firm’s focus on gender diversity and flexible work accommodations with helping her reach both milestones. With regard to CSP, she says unequivocally, “It’s one of the best things we do at the firm.” </p>
<p>Goldberg has successfully employed techniques she learned through CSP to manage otherwise uncomfortable interactions with male colleagues, and has adapted her communication style to be more assertive, ensuring she doesn’t use language that can serve to undermine her own authority. But it is the opportunity to network with other women leaders through CSP that stands out. She says:</p>
<p><em>"CSP introduced me to so many female colleagues from different practices who I wouldn’t have otherwise met. Not only is it great on a personal level to be able to pick up the phone and get support from someone who understands you, but it makes it that much easier for us to cross-sell our practices and help build each other’s businesses."</em></p>
<p>For Goldberg, as invaluable as the myriad benefits from CSP have been, she could not have gotten where she is today without Norton Rose Fulbright’s unwavering commitment to her: </p>
<p><em>"I have asked for many accommodations from the firm over the last 10 years, and they’ve granted each one. That includes two extended maternity leaves, a flexible schedule so I could spend more time with my children, and a move from D.C. to New York—where there wasn’t even a healthcare practice—so I could be closer to my family. They have consistently said ‘yes’ without hesitation. I told my boss I was surprised at how easy it was for me to relocate, and he said, ‘We want you to be happy and we want you to stay.’ They definitely have the right attitude."</em></p>
<p>Many Norton Rose Fulbright employees can relate to this sentiment and appreciate the myriad ways the firm has deliberately worked to retain and advance the talented women in its ranks. In return, those women are giving back in equal measure, by acting as a support network for their colleagues, and as mentors and sponsors to the next generation of women leaders seeking the guidance and opportunity that will help them advance their careers. It is this kind of steady support and commitment to the elevation of women at Norton Rose Fulbright—both from the firm and from one another—that will pave the path to success, through 2020 and beyond.</p>
</div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catalyzing/~4/bLBxeOIHa0w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Ally Flack11995 at http://www.catalyst.orghttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/norton-rose-fulbright-creating-opportunities-success-every-level#commentshttp://www.catalyst.org/blog/catalyzing/norton-rose-fulbright-creating-opportunities-success-every-level